Food processor



Oct. 22, 1968 s. J. POPEIL 3,406,590

FOOD PROCESSOR Original Filed NOV. 26. 1965 n v 'I l l I @a x Ik United States Patent O1 3,406,590 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 hee 3,406,590 FOOD PROCESSOR Y Samuel J. Popeil, 2920 N. Commonwealth,

Chicago, Ill. 60657 Original application Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 509,695. Divided and this application July 28, 1967, Ser.

3 Claims. (Cl. 74-545) This application is a division of copending application, Ser. No. 509,695, filed Nov. 26, 1965.

V The present invention relates to handles for use with a rotatably drivenmember, and more particularly to a plastic molded two-piece handle.

An object of the invention is to vprovide a light weight sturdy removable handle for use with a rotatably'driven member.

Another object is to provide improved plastic molded two-piece handles.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the handle construction.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the handle construction shown in FIG. l in enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the handle construction shown in FIG. 2 illustrating the ribbed reinforcing portion.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the handle construction shown in FIG. 3 taken along sectional line 21-21 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the handle construction taken along section line 22-22 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along section line 23-23 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the handle construction in the same Scale as FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, partially broken, longitudinal sectional view of the handle grip lock assembly.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partially broken end view of the snap plug construction element of the handle grip lock assembly.

The unique handle construction is lightweight, susceptible of molding out of plastic, and may be inexpensively and sturdily assembled from but two parts. By virtue of its light weight, and unusual strength, the effort of the operator in rotating a rotatable member, such as the auger of the food processor disclosed and claimed in the abovementioned copending application, Ser. No. 509,695, tiled Nov. 26, 1965, is substantially reduced. Referring now to FIGURES 1 through 9, it will be seen (see FIG. 1) that the handle 11 has a crank arm body portion 70 which is curved between the hexagonal connecting shaft and handle grip 18. An oiset relationship is thereby provided between the driven member D which, as indicated above, can be the auger of a food processor and the handle grip 18. The hexagonal connecting shaft 38 ts Within a complementary recess in the driven member D, the bearing portion 40 serving to rotatably journal the same.

As will be noted in FIG. 2, the crank arm 70 tapers between the hexagonal connecting shaft 38 and the handle grip 18. Furthermore, the sidewalls 71 of the crank arm (see FIGS. 5 and 6) taper outwardly to from an isosceles trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration. The back portion 72 of the crank arm connects the two sidewalls 71 and is reinforced internally by the latticed ribbing 75 as best shown in FIG. 3. It will be noted that the latticed ribbing 75 is actually made up of a lchain of a plurality of diamond-shaped honeycomb members connected at the point of the diamond most closely adjacent the sidewall 71 by means of wall ribs 78. In this particular embodiment, it has been found that maximum strength commensurate with a minimum employment of material and light weight may be achieved where the angularity of the diamond members 76 is based upon multiples of 30. It will be noted that the angle A (again see FIG. 3) is 30. The adjacent included angle B is 60. As will be seen in FIG. 4, the wall portions of the latticed ribbing are all parallel with the hexagonal connecting shaft 38 and the handle grip shaft 74. Not only does this arrangement readily faciiltate molding, but further compounds the angularity of the latticed ribbing 75 in its relationship between the curved isosceles trapezoidal handle crank arm 70.

Referring now to FIG. 8, it will be seen that a handle grip lock assembly 80 is provided which permits a snap acting lock between the handle grip 18 and the handle grip shaft 74 for spinning rotation of the handle grip 18 on the shaft 74. The locking collar 81 on the interior portion near the end of the handle grip shaft 74 has a forward locking shoulder 84 and an insert bevel 82. The handle grip 18 has a snap plug 85 interiorly thereof at its end which is pushed into and snap-locks interiorly of the shaft 74. The nibs 86 first engage the insert bevel 82 and thereafter are locked in place by the locking shoulder 84. As will be noted in FIG. 9, a spring slot 88 is provided interiorly of the snap plug to accord the resiliency to the nibs 86 and their adjacent collar shaft 89 to permit the snap locking action referred to above. The collar shoulder 90 at the rear portion of the snap plug 85 coacts with the insert bevel 82 to journal the snap plug on the locking collar 81 of the handle grip 18. As will be noted in FIG. 4, a complementary tapered interior relationship is provided between the interior portion of the handle grip 18 and the base of the handle grip shaft 74 so that a crank arm base interface '92 is provided to centeringly journal the handle grip 18.

The particular construction of the snap plug 85 is such that when the handle grip 18 is molded out of a plastic such as Delrin, an acetol resin manufactured by the Du Pont Company, the handle grip 18 can actually be snapped out of the mold in accordance with the ultimate snap action intended for the snap plug 85. Furthermore, the point contact provided between the locking collar 81 and the snap plug 85 in combination with the crank arm base interface reduces the friction between the handle grip 18 and the handle grip shaft 74 to the point where the handle grip 18 may be readily spun about its shaft. This further reduces the friction of the handle grip 18 on the crank arm 70 and provides for ease of operation.

Thus the handle construction not only possesses unusual strength attributable to the latticed ribbing, but may be inexpensively manufactured from two parts, and snapfittingly assembled for virtually friction-free operation. In a production unit where the center distance between the handle shaft 74 and the hexagonal connecting shaft 38 is 41/2", and the handle grip 18 is slightly over 3" long, the entire assembly weighs less than two ounces. Despite this lightness of weight an axial distortion by way of torsional force of 20 between the handle grip shaft 74 and the hexagonal connecting shaft 38 is readily tolerated. A further advantage is the provision for ready dis-assembly of the handle grip 18 from the crank arm 70 in that it admits of ready cleaning and washing thereby rendering the handle quite sanitary for use in kitchen type appliances.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives, embodiments, usages and equivalents of a food processor as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and the appended claims.

f t'fthe-long axis bfwthefliamonds 4beingalongxtheV armf'long I claim:-- f 1. For use with a rotatable driven member, a plastic molded two-piece handle, said handle comprising a crank arm, a lconnecting shaft extendingv from 4one end of the crank arm and handle grip shaft extending from the other end of the crank arm each in parallel offset relation to the other, the connecting shaft having non-cylindrical means for locking insertion into a driven member, a handle rotatably mounted on the handle grip shaft, the crank arm having an isoceles crosssection dened by side walls and a back, a diamond latticed ribbing within the arm opening away from the back and .terminating in the back, one axis of the diamonds being along the long axis of vthe arm and the end of veach diamond being integral with the next diamond,.and a plurality of 4wall ribs extending the other axis yof each diamond to a side wall connection.

2. In the handle of claim 1, the crank arm havingian isosceles vtrape-zoidal cross section defined by side' walls and .a back, a diamond latticed ribbing Within the arm opening away from the back and terminating in the back,

axis and the end of each diamond being integral with the next, and a plurality of wall ribs extending short axis of each diamond to a side wall connection.

3. In the handle of claim'll; collar means interiorly of the handle grip slaftfand afsnap' plu'g interiorly of the handle havirg'i'libs to` snapiactinglyiengge the collar means Lthereby revolvablycnjnfect'irfigYthehandleto lthe handl gfip'shaft. f t

References Cited i Y A UNITED STATESPATENTS-r 2,978,927 4/,1961 `B1amonn 74, 545

Fano C. MATTERN, JRf'., Primary' Examr1 'Y BL -T.ACALLAHAN, Assstant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A ROTATABLE DRIVEN MEMBER, A PLASTIC MOLDED TWO-PIECE HANDLE, SAID HANDLE COMPRISING A CRANK ARM, A CONNECTING SHAFT EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE CRANK ARM AND HANDLE GRIP SHAFT EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE CRANK ARM EACH IN PARALLEL OFFSET RELATION TO THE OTHER, THE CONNECTING SHAFT HAVING NON-CYLINDRICAL MEANS FOR LOCKING INSERTION INTO A DRIVEN MEMBER, A HANDLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE HANDLE GRIP SHAFT, THE CRANK ARM HAVING AN ISOCELES CROSS SECTION DEFINED BY SIDE WALLS AND A BACK, A DIAMOND LATTICED RIBBING WITHIN THE ARM OPENING AWAY FROM THE BACK AND TERMINATING IN THE BACK, ONE AXIS OF THE DIAMONDS BEING ALONG THE LONG AXIS OF THE ARM AND THE END OF EACH DIAMOND BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE NEXT DIAMOND, AND A PLURALITY OF WALL RIBS EXTENDING THE OTHER AXIS OF EACH DIAMOND TO A SIDE WALL CONNECTION. 